Many commonly known electronic devices utilize two housing elements which are movably connected by a type of hinged mechanism. The resulting arrangement of housing elements not only provides for a more compact electronic device, but also protects fragile components, such as switches or displays, which may be hidden when the electronic device is folded together.
One example of a hinged electronic device is a wireless telephone having a microphone section that may be folded together with the main telephone section. Such a hinged telephone is typically more compact than conventional wireless telephones and, therefore, may be more conveniently carried by a user. Additionally, the telephone controls may be covered, and thus protected, by the microphone section when the telephone is folded into a closed position for carrying. When the telephone is to be operated, the microphone section is rotated into an open position, in which the user may listen via an ear piece located on the main telephone section and speak into the microphone . The positioning of the microphone section is, however, generally restricted to the open or the closed position and may not be adjusted to conform to the preferences of the user speaking into the microphone.
Another type of electronic device that commonly utilizes a hinged mechanism is a laptop computer. Laptop computers, which are designed to be very compact, usually employ a "flip-up" display section. When the display section is rotated into a closed position, the display and keyboard are concealed and protected from accidental breakage. Unlike conventional hinged telephones, however, when the display section is released from the closed position, it may be rotated into many different positions. In this manner, the user may conveniently adjust the display section to a preferred position in which it is held by compression forces within the hinging mechanism. Regrettably, repeated movement of the display section may cause wear on the hinging mechanism, which, after passage of time, could begin to operate incorrectly.
Thus, what is needed is a hinged mechanism for connecting two housing elements of an electronic device such that they may be rotated into user-selectable positions. Furthermore, the hinged mechanism should not be worn by repeated movement of the housing elements.